The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document.
The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge covers the following: Patent number, Date patent was issued, Date patent was filed, Title of the patent, Applicant, Inventor, Assignee, Attorney firm, Primary examiner, Assistant examiner, CPCs, and Abstract. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document (in Adobe Acrobat format, aka pdf). To download or print any patent click here.
Patent No.:
Date of Patent:
May. 02, 1978
Filed:
Aug. 01, 1975
Richard P Heintz, Kalamazoo, MI (US);
Other;
Abstract
A hybrid propulsion system, particularly for a vehicle, having a free piston type engine-pump unit connected to a working fluid circuit for controlling pressurization of a working fluid, which fluid in turn drives a hydraulic motor interconnected to the vehicle wheels. The motor-pump unit includes a free piston assembly having a pair of fixedly connected power pistons, each of which has a pump piston fixed thereto. The fluid system includes high and low pressure accumulators in communication with pumping chambers associated with the pump pistons. The power pistons are used for driving the pump pistons to pressurize the working fluid when self-sustained operation of the engine-pump unit is desired. However, the flow of working fluid to the pumping chambers can be reversed during startup of the engine so that the high pressure fluid is used for driving the free piston assembly until same is reciprocated at a rate rapidly enough to permit self-sustained reciprocation thereof.